DRINKING WATER
A New Approach To Infrastructure Resiliency
Extreme weather and seismic threats are driving a new collaborative approach to infrastructure. By aligning utility needs with academic research and manufacturing innovation, providers can validate resilient technologies and deploy data-backed solutions for long-term reliability.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![GettyImages-179133772]( "VOCs For Non-Scientists: Understanding, Detecting, Removing")
VOCs For Non-Scientists: Understanding, Detecting, RemovingThis introduction to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) will discuss what qualifies a compound as a VOC, how to detect them, and how to treat and remove these chemicals from the water system.
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![arsenic_water]( "Eliminating A Silent Killer — A Critical Review On The Viability Of Decentralized Arsenic Removal Systems For Rural Communities")
Eliminating A Silent Killer — A Critical Review On The Viability Of Decentralized Arsenic Removal Systems For Rural CommunitiesArsenic is a global environmental health issue. Since it was recognized in the nineties many techniques have been developed on the remediation on arsenic contaminated drinking water. Solving people’s exposure through drinking water to arsenic is, however, a complex problem.
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![GettyImages-1175409485_450_300 (002)]( "Does Grinding Create Microplastics?")
Does Grinding Create Microplastics?Some industry professionals have concluded eliminating the use of grinders will prevent microplastics from entering the water cycle. This thinking is wrong for a range of reasons.
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5 Key Steps To Better Plastic Piping Designs
Most people understand the inherent benefits of plastic piping — chemical resistance, installation speed, ease of assembly, cost efficiency, longevity in corrosive, harsh exterior or underground environments, etc. Not everyone, however, fully appreciates the nuances of plastic piping design that help to maximize those benefits most efficiently.
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![BEACON® Advanced Metering Analytics (AMA) Managed Solution Improves Efficiencies And Customer Service For Pittsylvania County Service Authority, VA]( "SaaS Managed Solution Improves Efficiencies And Customer Service")
SaaS Managed Solution Improves Efficiencies And Customer ServiceWhen Chris Adcock became the Executive Director at the Pittsylvania County Service Authority (PCSA) in 2013, he found an aging water system. With customer service concerns and rising costs, Chris started his search for the best water metering solution and found the BEACON® Software as a Service (SaaS) managed solution from Badger Meter.
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Niederzeuzheim WWTP Case Study The villages of Oberzeuzheim and Niederzeuzheim, Germany are served by the Niederzeuzheim wastewater treatment plant. The plant was originally designed as a nitrification facility for a population of approximately 3,000.
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![MeterReaderMarkWaldo]( "New Meters And AMR System Deliver Outstanding Revenue Savings And Improved Efficiencies In Ozark Mountain Region")
New Meters And AMR System Deliver Outstanding Revenue Savings And Improved Efficiencies In Ozark Mountain RegionTri County Regional Water upgrades to Badger Meter E-Series® Ultrasonic meters and ORION® Classic (CE) automatic meter reading (AMR) solution.
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![buna-n]( "Materials Can Impact Product Design Life And Produce Safer Drinking Water")
Materials Can Impact Product Design Life And Produce Safer Drinking WaterBuna-N has been a widely used choice for elastomeric seats used in multiple types of valves including butterfly, rubber seated ball, and resilient seated check and gate valves in North America.
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Dow Achieves Maximum Efficiency With Glass-Lined Storage Tank
Every morning when you pour a cup of coffee or tear open a package of frozen waffles, the science of Dow Chemical is there to help make your breakfast convenient and fresh. Dow makes high-performance materials that go into food packaging, personal care products, medications, and clothing — to name a few.
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![iStock-689065726]( "Capitalizing On Evolving PFAS-Removal Options")
Capitalizing On Evolving PFAS-Removal OptionsGranular activated carbon (GAC) and ion exchange (IX) resin have long histories in removing a variety of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as ‘forever chemicals.’ Here are some performance considerations of evolving options that can pay dividends for first-time and experienced PFAS removal operators alike.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Reduced Bore Electromagnetic Flowmeter10/29/2021
Being able to accurately measure both the quantity and rate of water passing through a water distribution system is crucial to gain an informed understanding of overall efficiency. As such, achieving a measurement that is exact as possible can have a significant impact on key areas. This includes supply planning, maintenance, resource deployment, leakage detection and the overall environment.
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Improved Efficiencies In TOC Wastewater Analysis For Standard Method 5310B And EPA Method 41510/16/2014Total organic carbon (TOC) measurement is of vital importance to the operation of water treatment due to organic compounds comprising a large group of water pollutants. TOC has been around for many years, and although it is a relatively simple analysis in theory, operational efficiency is paramount.
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The Basics: Keeping Our Water Clean Requires Monitoring4/30/2014
Keeping the water in our lakes, rivers, and streams clean requires monitoring of water quality at many points as it gradually makes its way from its source to our oceans. Over the years ever increasing environmental concerns and regulations have heightened the need for increased diligence and tighter restrictions on wastewater quality.
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Bardac® LF 18 — A Novel Cooling Water Algaecide10/23/2020
The active ingredient in Bardac® LF 18 is dioctyl dimethyl ammonium chloride. This product comes in two concentrations: -10WT (10% w/w) and -50WT (50% w/w). Several chemical properties of this product yield key benefits that set it apart from other industrial cooling water products. It is a quaternary ammonium compound (quat). Quats are typically low cost and highly effective biocides for a broad spectrum of organisms.
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Real-Time Water Quality Data For Agriculture9/23/2020
We arm farmers with mission-critical water data to help enhance crop yield and taste. KETOS delivers valuable insights for fluctuations in deficiency and toxicity.
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Application Note: YSI 600 Optical Monitoring System Used To Protect Lake Oconee, Georgia Water Quality12/27/2005Northern Georgia is experiencing unprecedented development; consequently, water quality in many of its watersheds is in jeopardy of severe degradation. The State of Georgia, Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has implemented an NPDES monitoring and enforcement program designed to prevent construction activities from impacting water quality
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Application Note: Desalination Plants: YSI Instruments Monitor Flow & Water Quality At Multiple Stages2/3/2011Desalination is the process of removing salt from sea water or brackish river or groundwater to make potable water. By YSI
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SensyMaster Thermal Mass Flowmeter8/3/2021
SensyMaster helps to improve the operating costs of the most cost intensive process in sewage plants: Aeration. High-measuring performance and state of the art technology helps customers increase plant efficiency.
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Analysis Of Pesticide Residue In Spinach Using The AutoMate-Q40 An Automated QuEChERS Solution10/16/2014
QuEChERS is a Quick-Easy-Cheap-Effective-Rugged-Safe extraction method that has been developed for the determination of pesticide residues in agricultural commodities.
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Waste Technologies Transform Problems To Profit9/8/2015
Anaerobic digestion processes that radically improve the quality of wastewater while delivering green energy extracted from biological waste streams are emerging as a profitable way for agricultural and food processing industries cope with the twin impact of drought and pollution challenges.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
Aqua-Aerobic® Membrane Systems featuring NO BREAK Aqua MultiBore® membranes are designed to effectively remove suspended solids, particulate phosphorus, bacteria, cysts and other harmful impurities, resulting in safe, high quality water
Pre-engineered, fully automated, low maintenance system for applications with average flows of 1 MGD or less; and up to 4 MGD. Proven FlexRake technology is paired with a perfectly-sized washer compactor to seamlessly remove, clean, compress and discharge screenings 10 ft in any direction.
The Aztec 600 Aluminium Analyzer AW631 has been designed specifically for the measurement of aluminium in potable water applications. It offers reliable, and accurate, on-line analysis of aluminium up to 2 ppm.
If not adequately removed from drinking water, manganese can cause taste, odor and color problems, staining of clothes and plumbing fixtures, and incrustation of water mains that can result in black water at the customer's tap.
The Aqueous Electrostatic Concentrator's (AEC) modular design provides a small footprint and low energy consumption, and it can be skidded, trailer-mounted, or custom configured to fit into existing spaces.
HYMAX GRIP joins and restrains a wide selection of pipes of different types and diameters, easily and reliably. Due to its patented design, it allows the joining of pipes of the same or different materials and diameters and preventing axial pipe movement.
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![businesswoman asking question in education event-GettyImages-2198836359]( "AMI Under The Microscope: Beaverton Water Division Answers Questions About Its AMI Transition")
Beaverton Water Division’s transition to Kamstrup AMI and acoustic leak detection is modernizing meter reading, reducing infrastructure costs, improving leak identification, and streamlining operations as deployment progresses.
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![Texas Flag-GettyImages-942623440]( "Meeting Demand, Ensuring Compliance: A Success Story In Executing Fast-Paced Water System Improvements In Missouri City, Texas")
Learn how the Mustang Bayou Service Area (MBSA) Water System Improvements project delivered a fast-tracked, multi-phase response to rapid development and critical capacity challenges in one of the Missouri City’s fastest-growing regions.
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![Legionella pneumophila-GettyImages-1451790531]( "Legionella And The Need For Next-Generation Detection: Steps Water Utilities Can Take To Alleviate The Risk")
As water systems grow more complex and climate patterns shift, Legionella is emerging as one of the most persistent and underestimated risks in the built environment. The threat to public health from Legionnaires' disease will likely further escalate unless decisive action is taken. -
![maasjackson]( "Metering as a Service Improves Jackson, MS, Water Infrastructure")
The city of Jackson faced a water crisis that went beyond the tap. What began as an ambitious plan to modernize its water metering infrastructure in 2014 became a logistical and financial nightmare, costing the city millions in lost revenue and declining public trust. Metering as a Service (MaaS) offered the city an alternative option. -
![leadpipeInground_Getty-2211014580]( "The Final Mile: The U.S. Simply Must Rush To Finish Its Critical Lead-Pipe Cleanup")
There has been an abundance of funding available to address the estimated 9.2 million lead service lines currently deliver drinking water to homes, businesses, schools, and unsuspecting citizens throughout the United States. So it is disheartening to realize that millions of lead water lines are still delivering water to citizens. -
![Digital communication-GettyImages-2042965298]( "Beaverton's New AMI Solution Checks Every Box: Operations, Billing, Service, And Savings")
This Q&A follows the Webinar: Beaverton's New AMI Solution Checks Every Box: Operations, Billing, Service, & Savings hosted by Water Online on October 21, 2025. The webinar featured the leadership team from Beaverton Water Division as they discussed lessons learned across operations, billing, and customer service, offering a 360-degree perspective on implementing and managing an AMI system.
DRINKING WATER VIDEOS
Fresh off TrojanUV being named manufacturer of the year by the WateReuse Association, Water Online caught up with Jennifer Muller, Vice President of Global Municipal Sales for TrojanUV at this year’s WEFTEC, to understand how ultra violet systems are being applied in the growing movement towards direct and indirect potable water reuse.
Out of sight, the country’s underground water infrastructure is aging and failing. In this interview, AMERICAN’s Derek Scott and Maury Gaston discuss the problem, challenges facing cities, and the latest technologies for providing and protecting one of our most precious resources — water.
ABOUT DRINKING WATER
In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:
- Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
- Drinking water treatment of source water
- Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers
Drinking Water Sources
Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater.
Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.
Drinking Water Treatment
Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.
There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.
The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.
The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.
During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.
Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.
Drinking Water Distribution
Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.
A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.
Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.